Season 4 - Ep. 3 - The unlikely shared origins of bluegrass and blockchains W/ Justin Holmes
Mar 26, 2024
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This podcast explores the unique fusion of traditional music with crypto values, challenges in the music industry, the influence of video game music on compositions, the metaphorical significance of depression-era mining songs, futuristic punk ideologies, and the importance of rollups in blockchain technology.
Challenging traditional music ownership with threshold cryptography for album release.
Bridging countercultural cypherpunk values with music creation process.
Reviving classic video game melodies as cultural touchstones in musical performances.
Deep dives
Challenging Traditional Music Industry
Exploring unconventional capital allocation methods in the music industry, Justin Holmes debuts his album 'Vowel Sounds' using threshold cryptography. By releasing the album only after reaching a crowdfunding goal, Holmes challenges the hierarchical power structures and traditional ownership models prevalent in the music industry. This innovative approach transforms music into a public good accessible to all contributors, marking a shift towards a more democratized and inclusive music economy.
Fusion of Music and Cypherpunk Values
Blend of musical talent and cryptographic expertise: Justin Holmes, a cryptographer and musician, integrates cypherpunk values into his music creation process. By infusing traditional music with themes of cryptography, Holmes bridges the worlds of counterculture in both the music industry and the crypto space. His debut album 'Vowel Sounds' reflects a symbiosis of creative expression and technological innovation, reshaping how capital is allocated to musicians through boundary-pushing mechanisms like threshold cryptography.
Revitalizing Traditional Video Game Music
Honoring video game music as modern-day traditional standards: Through his performances, Holmes revives iconic video game melodies such as those from Zelda, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy. Drawing inspiration from these classic soundtracks, Holmes treats video game music as cultural touchstones, akin to jazz standards, fostering collaboration and improvisation within his musical repertoire. By reinterpreting these melodies with a fusion of Irish influences and crypto themes, Holmes infuses nostalgia and innovation into his performances, engaging audiences familiar with gaming's musical legacy.
Evolution of Music Genres and Innovations
The podcast discusses how various music genres evolved through integration and technological innovations. It highlights the transition of Appalachian music, integrating European mandolin and fiddle rhythms, symbolizing the fusion of Irish and Scottish fiddle tunes. The significance of Maybelle Carter's guitar work in transforming rhythm and stringed instruments as substitutes for drums is emphasized. The narrative delves into how musicians adapted to technological advancements like AM radio for music distribution, drawing parallels to the application of blockchain technology.
Taper Culture, Grateful Dead, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation
The podcast delves into the taper culture surrounding Grateful Dead shows, where fans recorded performances, leading to the band's pioneering stance on music ownership. It explores the emergence of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) from Grateful Dead's principles of open access to music. The discussion extends to how early taping culture influenced the EFF's formation, linking it to the leak of Macintosh source code, highlighting connections between music sharing, encryption, and the development of peer-to-peer networks.
00:00 Intro & Vowel Sounds 05:37 Justin & Kevin chit chat 07:25 Song 1 - Hell or High Water 10:56 Inspiration behind Vowel Sounds Album 15:01 Song 2 - The Morning of The Bank Run 19:58 How was Vowel Sound released? 24:05 Justin on his unique approach to release Vowel Sound. 29:22 Justin & Kevin on how it feels to work on passion projects 33:06 Gitcoin 2.0 & Justin collab, Retro PGF Model for Live Music Distribution 35:04 Kevin talks about Justin's captivating music 37:19 Song 3 - Cork Board 39:36 Justin's love for video game music 41:23 His inspiration behind video game music 45:26 Song 4 49:04 Origin of Electronic Frontier Foundation & Old Days 55:34 Taping Culture, History of music sharing and more 1:02:30 Significance of EFF & Music Sharing Freedom 1:04:10 20th century, Peer to Peer sharing 1:06:40 Song 5 1:10:10 What type of punk Justin is? 1:19:00 Justin on Roll ups 1:20:20 Song 6 1:24:25 Outro SOCIALS: 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/greenpillnet 🎵 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@greenpill.network 💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenpill-global/ 🎧 Discord - https://discord.gg/greenpill 📞Telegram - https://t.me/+g9TM8i7GpxAzMGUx
Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.
Disclosure: From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Greenpill team writers hold crypto assets.
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